BABE: PIG IN THE CITY

Never before had a first-time actor hammed it up with such style and trotted away with all the glory.

Babe was THE undisputed big screen star of 1995 after making a phenomenal debut in the hit film of the same name.

The little pig who thought he was a sheep-dog stole the hearts of movie-goers around the world, and the film was nominated for no fewer than seven Oscars.

So it's no surprise that he's back, hogging the limelight in a sequel.

This time the little piggy doesn't stay at home, and sets off on a quest to save 'his humans', Farmer and Mrs Hoggett, from bankruptcy.

He travels to the big city where he befriends a series of weird and wonderful animals, including chimpanzees, an Orang-utan and more than 200 cats and dogs.

But although you can't fail to be moved by the menagerie of cute and fluffy animals, this is no Disneyland, and many of Babe's adventures in the metropolis are dark and even sinister.

Australian director George Miller, however, believes it is this aspect, not necessarily the comedy, which is the key to the Babe phenomenon.

"This jolly little farm where the lead character was about to be eaten, where the cheerful farmer's wife had a recipe already in hand and where the farmer was so matter-of-fact about it all - I believe that every good story must get to that other side," he says.

But will the follow-up be as successful as the original Babe? Not if you look to America, where, despite positive - in some cases ecstatic - reviews, the film has flopped badly.

It also had its fair share of troubles during shooting. Filming ran five weeks behind schedule, forcing the release to be postponed from last summer to last week. What's more, its $80 million budget apparently overran by $12 million.

That has not ended Miller's love affair with the little pig sheep-dog. He first encountered Babe 13 years ago on a long-haul flight, when he met a book critic who was raving about a novel by the British author and farmer, Dick King-Smith.

Intrigued, he bought a copy and soon afterwards snapped up the film rights. "Dick King-Smith's wonderful little pig story was deceptively potent," recalls Miller. "It dealt with dignity, death, destiny, courage and bigotry. It may have been a little fable but it tackled some really big questions."

Miller had worked with pigs on the futuristic Mad Max Beyond The Thunderdome, and says the experience left him with a profound respect for the animals.

"I became saddened to think that they had no purpose other than to be eaten by humans."

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